The study shows US$30-40 million invested by governmental and non-governmental organisations is not effectively spent
A population trend analysis of Bornean orangutans reveals that, despite decades of conservation work, the species is declining rapidly - at a rate of 25 per cent over the past 10 years. University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences researcher Dr Truly Santika , an Indonesian statistician and researcher at the ARC Centre of Centre for Environmental Decisions (CEED), led the study on the critically endangered Bornean orangutans. Analyses show declines are particularly pronounced in West and Central Kalimantan, but even in relatively well protected areas, such as the Malaysian State of Sabah, the rate of decline is still 21.3 per cent. Every year US$30-40 million is invested by governmental and non-governmental organisations to halt the decline of wild populations. The study shows that these funds are not effectively spent. Dr Santika said, for many threatened species, the rate and drivers of population decline were difficult to accurately assess. "Our study used advanced modelling techniques that allowed the combination of different survey methods, including helicopter surveys, traditional ground surveys, and interviews with local communities," Dr Santika said.
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